Quick Dips

Measurements in Agreement

Australia and New Zealand recently signed formal agreements recognising the equivalence of each country's basic units of measurement, after five years of work towards this.

The basic units agreed upon are temperature, time, length, mass, capacitance, and electric potential and resistance. The levels of accuracy involved are equivalent to one millimetre in the road distance between Wellington and Kaitaia, according to chief meteorologist Andrew Corney.

Recognition of equivalent standards of measurement is important because different countries can differ markedly in their ability to measure accurately and to disseminate such standards to industry.